Franz Kafka, 1883-1924

Biographical note

One of the major German-language novelists and short story writers of the 20th century, whose unique body of writing
— most of it published posthumously despite his wish that it be destroyed — has become iconic in Western
literature.

He is best known for the creation of Gregor Samsa in Die Verwandlung (The Metamorphosis), published in 1915, and
Joseph K. in Der Prozess (The Trial), published in 1925, which explore the idea of the individual's alienation from his
surroundings, his society, and from himself. The adjective "kafkaesque" has entered the language to express the absurd,
surreal, and terrifying world that Kafka's work created.

Works

Short stories

Description of a Struggle (Beschreibung eines Kampfes) [1904-1905]

Wedding Preparations in the Country (Hochzeitsvorbereitungen auf dem Lande) [1907-1908]

The Judgment (Das Urteil) (September 22-23, 1912)

In the Penal Colony (In der Strafkolonie) (October 1914)

The Village Schoolmaster (The Giant Mole) (Der Dorfschullehrer or Der Riesenmaulwurf) [1914-1915]